Parsons Paris

Stepping into The Archive: Faire Dialoguer la Chaussure et sa Représentation

For the past week, Professor Lorraine Audric’s “Design & Visual Studies” graduate class students have had their critical essays, investigations and explorations on visual culture on exhibition within the Bibilothèque des Arts Décoratifs.

Students got to dig into the archive of the Musee des Arts Décoratifs and compare and contrast vital pieces of archival material alongside a present day visual culture image. Students explored their material based off the understanding of the evolution of imagery.  Archives are full of images, of representations that we can sometimes no longer understand – or even recognize. If their meanings only emerge in relation to the person viewing them, what might they still tell us about the society and culture that made them? How might we go about reading them today?

Aiming at offering answers to these questions, Design & Visual Studies students presented a series of original and research-based juxtapositions. Exploring the shoe and its strong iconographical presence in the library archive, this curatorial proposition is to bring the archive to life, by looking at old documents in new ways, by identifying and challenging stereotypes, and by updating the infinite polysemy of the image to question its relationship to reality.

The exhibition held a closing evening within the Bibilothèque des Arts Décoratifs where performance artist Emilie Girault added to the discussion of shoes through her performance, “The Rise of Power”.

Emilie Girault’s work revolves around the obsession: to visually translate sensations, emotions and thoughts. This year, Emilie presented a work at Nuit Blanche and Parsons Paris is pleased to welcome her to one of our school exhibitions. Emilie’s performance “The Rise Of Power” questions notions of femininity, sexuality and power. From ancient goddesses to female objects, from the cult of the lolita to girl power and the claim of her independence via the sexy, to what extent does femininity still and always respond to societal diktats? The bandaged feet trapped in a jewellery shoe, dressed in long fake blonde hair, the apparent power of the performer wavers inexorably, the body reflecting a growing feverishness.

Students explored notions of gender through Nike sneakers and high heel shoes, power through music videos by Beyonce, and femininity through horse hoves or “panta-shoes”.

Overall, each student took their foundation in design or fashion to explore shoes as something much more than just footwear, but vessels for meaning.

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